Government to reduce electricity tariffs soon - Amin Adam

Jan. 9, 2018, 12:25 p.m.

Government is determined to reduce the current electricity tariffs contrary to claims by the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in parliament it has no the wherewithal and commitment to do so.

“Government cannot promise Ghanaians by making a bold decision in the budget and only to come and say we cannot do it”, Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam assured.

“We are determined”, he stressed on Joy FM’s Top Story hosted by Evans Mensah at the back of a press conference held by minority Members of Parliament (MPs) government plans to increase electricity tariffs contrary to their earlier position.

“If you know and understand tariff setting by PURC , government has made its proposal as announced in the budget. …PURC will now have to take it through their procedure and the first thing they have to do is to request the utility to make submissions”, the Deputy Minister explained.

The NDC Minority in Parliament has asked Ghanaians to brace up for a major increase in electricity tariffs after casting doubts on the government’s reduction promise.

According to them, the government has done little to bring relief to the people after promising to cut down tariff in the 2018 budget.

Minority Spokesperson on Energy, Adams Mutawakilu said the Minority’s checks at the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) indicate there will be an increase in electricity tariffs.

The reduction when done will bring “relief to the poor whose individual consumption actually falls in the subsidized life-line category,” Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said during the 2018 Budget presentation.

However, government has stated that while it can make recommendations for the reduction, it is the PURC that has the power to effect such reductions.